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Officer Leadership Continuum Key to Growing Navy Leaders
Story Number: NNS130123-09
1/23/2013

By Susan Henson, Center for Personal and Professional Development Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- A recent update to the Naval Military Personnel Manual's (MILPERSMAN) Navy Officer Leadership Continuum Training article defines milestone requirements for officer leadership training, Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) leaders said Jan. 22.

MILPERSMAN 1301-906, which was signed Dec. 14, spells out when officers are required to attend Navy leadership training that is part of the Officer Leadership Continuum, which consists of the Division Officer Leadership Course (DIVOLC), Department Head Leadership Course (DHLC), Executive Officer Leadership Course (XOLC), Commanding Officer Leadership Course (COLC), and Major Commander Leadership Course (MCLC).

"Navy leadership training is designed to provide officers with the tools to perform -- and excel -- in demanding leadership jobs regardless of community, specialty or job title," said Capt. John Newcomer, CPPD's commanding officer. "These courses focus on giving maritime professionals the tools to lead with courage, respect and trust and mentor future leaders to do the same."

XOLC, COLC and MCLC are offered via the Command Leadership School in Newport, R.I., and are available only to officers selected to those billets, with some exceptions for those selected for an officer-in-charge billet to attend the COLC course on an as-available basis. DIVOLC and DHLC are offered at CPPD learning sites in several fleet concentration areas.

The MILPERSMAN update restated the requirement for all officers in leadership positions to attend the appropriate CPPD leadership training either as part of their community pipeline, if offered, or through a CPPD learning site. The article defines the appropriate leadership training for department heads and division officers and also clears up previous confusion by providing corrected course names and course identification numbers, according to Cmdr. Jerome Morick, CPPD assistant director of training.

"Communities that have established training pipelines for officers heading to division officer and department head billets get the necessary leadership training course through those pipelines," Morick said. "Officers not en route to a department head or division officer tour who would like to attend the training can enroll through their command training officer or representative."

Officer leadership training at all levels is a brief time-out for officers while in transition to the next level of leadership to re-engage on the discussion of leadership skills, awareness, challenges and opportunities to prepare them for the leadership challenges they will face. It also provides an opportunity to share experiences and best practices among peers from within and outside one's community, said Morick.

"Attending these courses provide the tools and time for future division officers and department heads to focus ahead of their assignment and be ready for the challenges that will greet them as soon as they arrive," said Cmdr. Kevin Boykin, CPPD Sites West director and CPPD Learning Site San Diego instructor.

Navy leadership training is an iterative process, according to Morick. "It's not meant to be a one-time segment of training that, once received, meets a check in the box. CPPD develops training focused to meet the needs of officers at particular career points. DIVOLC and DHLC are part of a leadership continuum that continues throughout the officer's career. Just like education, this leadership training stays with you regardless of what you do throughout your life, whether you stay in the Navy or separate to pursue a civilian career," he said.

DIVOLC covers various situations in which division officers may find themselves, whether it involves briefing a senior officer on the status of the division, working with the chief in administering day-to-day division tasking, or sorting out conflicts between members of the division. Facilitators emphasize the importance of the chain of command and how division officers use the chain to meet the command's mission, according to Lt. Dan Rogers, a CPPD Learning Site Dam Neck DIVOLC instructor.

"DIVOLC is valuable because it provides a forum for junior officers to prepare for their roles as division officers through practical exercises and the experiences of both the instructors and their fellow classmates. Students do not always realize it, but they often can find all of the answers they need from the network that develops between them and their classmates," Rogers said.

DHLC similarly places value on what students have to contribute and provides expertise in lessons learned from the facilitators. It provides course content in a way designed to appeal to each class member's preferred learning style. The course places special emphasis on leadership variables that distinguish superior commands from average ones, according to Lt. Cmdr. Matt Mattro, a CPPD Learning Site Dam Neck instructor.

"We use the collective knowledge of the students as the foundation for learning about leading and managing people, tapping into that wealth of knowledge and experience, and relating it to the course content. With this information, we provide the students with a toolbox of information they can immediately use in their role as a department head," he said.

Lt. Cmdr. Noah Bellringer, a CPPD Learning Site San Diego instructor said, "I enjoy facilitating these courses because of the different points of view from officers from diverse backgrounds and designators. I learn as much from the students as they learn from me."

In addition to courses offered at one of CPPD's learning sites, the command also has the ability to provide DIVOLC and DHLC to nearly any command in any location in the world via a Mobile Training Team (MTT) based on need and command support, according to Morick.

Regardless of how and where the courses are completed, "Leader development is essential at all levels of the Navy ... junior and senior, officer and enlisted," Morick said. "It requires the focus of all hands to be successful as we 'grow' our leaders for tomorrow and beyond."

CPPD is responsible for providing a wide range of personal and professional development courses and materials, including General Military Training, Navy instructor training, alcohol and drug awareness program training, suicide and sexual assault prevention, bystander intervention, and personal responsibility classes.

CPPD's required leadership training is delivered multiple times throughout a Sailor's career via command-delivered enlisted leadership training material and officer leadership courses in a schoolhouse setting. CPPD also administers the Navy's voluntary education program, which provides Sailors with the opportunity to earn college degrees. CPPD additionally manages the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), which offers Sailors the opportunity to earn civilian apprenticeship certifications.

For more information about the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), visit: https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/cppd/.

For more news from the Center for Personal and Professional Development, visit www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/ or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Personal-and-Professional-Development/100056459206 and on Twitter @CENPERSPROFDEV.

For more news from Center for Personal and Professional Development, visit www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/.